Top Hispanic Chefs to Host Latin Supper Club Dinners for a Good Cause

On March 5 at 6 p.m., Cafe Brazil will host the first of twelve fundraiser dinners that make up the new Latin Supper Club series. All event proceeds will benefit nonprofit EGS & Partners’ Sabor Comunitario program, which teaches culinary and entrepreneurial skills to low-income, Spanish-speaking residents of the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods.

For years, EGS & Partners founder and Globeville resident Sandra Ruiz has poured her heart into these neighborhoods — areas in north Denver whose inequities in resources and opportunities have led to disproportionately higher rates of poverty, crime and chronic health conditions, among other issues.

Ruiz’s community work began with opposing the Central 70 project. The planned expansion of I-70 threatened to devastate the neighborhoods’ residential areas and worsen environmental hazards in what was, at the time, reported to be the most polluted zip code in the country.

According to Ruiz, six different lawsuits were initiated by various organizations and residents, and there were some settlements between the Colorado Department of Transportation and the community. But ultimately, CDOT did not reroute I-70. “The saddest part is that a lot of people don't even know that these neighborhoods exist,” says Ruiz, explaining that from the interstate, only industrial plants are visible.

After losing the battle against the Central 70 project, Ruiz established EGS & Partners so that the community would “have a bigger voice," she says. It attained nonprofit status in 2020 and aims to address several community concerns including public health, environmental issues, education and food insecurity.

“We lack a lot of things here,” comments Ruiz. She describes Elyria-Swansea and Globeville as food deserts, saying that the neighborhoods are devoid of grocery stores, with the nearest options being in Commerce City and on Colorado Boulevard.
To address several of these challenges, EGS & Partners has launched the Sabor Comunitario program in collaboration with the Hispanic Restaurant Association Academy. The 32-week course is intended to support the community’s underserved residents — 83 percent of whom identify as Hispanic. All classes will be taught in Spanish and offered to students at no cost. The organization is serving 25 individuals with its current funding and hopes to expand its reach.

Chef Pablo Aya will spearhead the program’s culinary element. Formally trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Aya served as the executive chef for MasterChef Mexico, worked in various esteemed establishments and opened his own restaurant in Chia, Colombia.

“One of the most fulfilling aspects of my career is my involvement with community projects like Sabor Comunitario where we work alongside the Academy to support the Hispanic community,” Aya says.

He and guest chefs will lead weekly hands-on cooking classes at the CSU Spur kitchen, covering varied cuisines and techniques. In addition to teaching students, the program will help to make food accessible to the community, as dishes made during classes will be sold at low costs.

Sabor Comunitario participants will also take part in entrepreneurial workshops focused on business fundamentals, marketing strategies and product development. During monthly events, students will have the opportunity to showcase their culinary creations and build networking skills. They’ll also receive real-world experience by acting as volunteer cooks, servers and dishwashers during the Latin Supper Club events.

Each fundraising dinner is capped at seventy seats and priced at $150 per person. Tickets include five courses and three drink pairings curated by “the best Hispanic chefs in Colorado,” according to Aya.
The March 5 event will spotlight Mexico City-born chef Zuri Resendiz, a Chopped champion and founder of the popular food truck Luchador, which will soon open as a brick-and-mortar eatery in Whittier. It's one of this year’s most anticipated restaurant openings.

Resendiz notes that some of the dishes he’ll present during the Latin Supper Club dinner will be on Luchador’s restaurant menu. The lineup includes hamachi with leche de tigre; a romaine salad with chili croutons and green goddess dressing; a wild mushroom tostada; and pork shank pibil served family style. For the final course, Resendiz is excited to share a sentimental recipe: strawberry and coconut tres leches.

“It’s a dessert that I helped my mom prep so many times," he says. "She [used] to sell cakes as a side hustle to help with bills and to make sure we had all we needed in our household. Now I have the opportunity to share this with Denver and the world — it makes me so happy.”

Aya and chef Tony Zarlenga, the owner of Cafe Brazil, will also host the inaugural dinner, as well as subsequent events. They’ll be joined by guest chef Luis Gurrola of Necio Mexican Kitchen on March 19, followed by the winner of the 2023 Hispanic Top Chef title, Carolina Zubiate, on April 9, and Ms. Betty’s Cooking co-owner Tajahi Cooke on April 23.

“If we get the funding from these dinners, we're going to be able to [support] more students,” says Ruiz. “I already have a waiting list of people that want to be a part.”